Expansion chamber type gas gun



Dec. 27, 1932. .5. c. GOSS 1,892,050

EXPANSION CHAMBER TYPE GAS GUN Filed Aug. 22, 1930 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inuenfor: ,497072/ U. Gases,

Filed Aug. 22. 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

Inventbr: fi yron 6. 60.9

Dec. 27, 1932. 5, Q 5055 EXPANSION CHAMBER TYPE GAS GUN Filed Aug. 22. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 r 4 7 ma 0 O u J z z 1 o a a l a a. fi/ 4 r m a W K a w W a an r1 3 5 w Patented Dec. 27, 1932 LZ QS BYRON G. GOSS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO EXPANSION CHAMBER TYPE GAS GUN Application filed August 22, 1930. Serial No. 477,144.

This invention relates to an electrically socket which receives the gas shell where it fired gas shell, and to a system for distributwill be entirely safe, and also thereby avoid ing a disabling gas for the protect-ion of the necessity of placing the shunt in each gas banks, stores, pay oifices, ticket selling winshell.

dows, etc., from attack by bandits etc., by Afurther object is to provide extensions to electrically fired gas shells, which shells are the shell, for example in the forms of pipe, suitably distributed about the bank or store etc., the pipes to be suitably perforated or to or other place to be protected, and which may be provided with suitable spray nozzles, the be attached to omnibus distributing pipes pipes to be located in suitable places in the suitably located, the shell to be detachably bank or store to be protected, the discharge secured to the pipes, and the pipes thereby of gas from the gas shell entering the pipe constituting an expansion chamber, or an and being distributed therefrom as jets, extension of the gas shell, or constituting an sprays, curtains, etc., from counters, moldelongated barrel of a gas gun; the pipes beings, or over the tops of the bank cages, etc.; ing provided with suitable openings or jets with at least one at each window of thebank through which the gas is discharged into a cage, etc., directly at the bandits who are at room in suit-able sprays. The gas shell contempting robbery. tains a charge of an irritating gas, a charge A further object is to provide means Whereofexplosive, and an electric fuse or igniter by both gas and smoke will be discharged, and a shunt connected in multiple with the either mixed, or as separate charges, through fuse to insure a complete electric circuit when the omnibus pipes and out through the spray a group of shells are connected in series; the nozzles; or from individual gas guns, or shells may also contain smoke producing through separate omnibus pipes; the smoke w chemicals, thereby delivering mixed gas and cloud produced will obscure the vision of the smoke. The shells described herein may also bandits or others that may be making the be used in any approved system of gas proattack. tection, for example such as described'in my A further object is to provide a means copending application, filed on July 30, whereby a single gas shell may be discharged 1930, Serial No. 464,992. into an omnibus pipe from which the dis- An object of the invention is to provide an abling gas, or gas and smoke, will be diselectric gas shell which is to be fired when an tributed from a number of outlets located on electric contact is closed and an electric curthe several bank cages, pay windows, ticket rent of suitable strength is passed through selling Windows, or other money-changing the fuse or igniter or fulminate composition windows, and produce an efiective incapacior other starter, the fuse firing the exposive, tating atmosphere, whereby a plurality of and the latter discharging and bursting the money-changing windows will be protected irritating gas holder in the shell thereby disby one gas shell. charging a volume of irritating gas. A further object is to provide an omnibus A further objectis to provide a suitable pipe or expansion chamber having a large shunt to the fuse or igniter,the shunt to carry capacity, which will hold a considerable current to other similar electric gas shells quantity of incapacitating gases under presconnected in series therewith should one of sure due to the explosion of the cartridges, the fuses in any of the electric gas shells be and thereby deliver a stream of incapacitatdefective, or also to supply electric current ing gas for some time. and discharge the remaining shells should Other objects of the invention will be apone shell be discharged before the others. parent to those skilled in this art. A further object is to locate the shunt either In the accompanying drawingin the non-destructible part of the shell, to Fig. 1 shows a cross section of an electric insure its safety should the shell be discharged gas shell, with the irritating gas container, prematurely; or to locate the shunt in the the charge of explosive, the fuse or igniter,

a shunt connected to the terminals supporting the fuse, and the outer terminals of the gas shell.

Fig. 2 shows in perspective a base upon which is mounted the fuse and shunt.

Fig. 3 is a view of a base, and .the shunt located within the recess in the body of the base.

Fig. 4 is a view of one type of socket in which the gas shell is inserted, with the shunt built into the socket, and a base of the gas shell above the socket.

Fig. 5 is a view of a group of sockets at tached to a suitable electric conductor.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 11, are views of distributing pipes, which in this application are called expansion chambers, or omnibus gas distributing pipes, and which are really extensions of the gun barrel through which the gas is discharged, the pipes containing suitable orifices in which, if desired, may be inserted suitable nozzles to direct, or spray, or deliver the gas in the form of a curtain or sheet towards the bandits. i

Fig. 9 is a view of a cross section of an omnibusgas distributing pipe with one type of nozzle attached thereto, and illustrating the relative diameters of the omnibus pipe or expansion chamber, and the nozzle pipe. a

Fig. 10 is a view of another type of nozzle which may be attached to any of the omnibus distributing pipes.

Figs. 12, 13, and 1a are views representing some methods of placing the omnibus distributing pipes upon partitions, bank grill cages, etc.

Fig. is a view of a modified type of gas cartridge, or gas and smoke cartridge, showing a bayonet oint connection.

Fig. 16 is a view partly in section of a shell which will discharge both gas and smoke; the smoke producing material being mixed with the explosive charge.

Fig. 17 is a view partly in section of a shell which will discharge both gas and smoke; the smoke producing material being in a separate container shown between the explosive charge and the gas generating chemicals. 7

Figs. 18 and 19 are views of omnibus pipes provided with Y connections to which are attached a gas cartridge and a smoke generating cartridge. 1

F g. 20'is a diagrammatic view of a bank room or jewelry store, etc., with individual gas delivering shells and smoke delivering shells mounted at each bank cage; etc;

Fig. 21 is a view of a bank room or jewelry store, etc., in which an omnibus pipe supplies gas, or gas and smoke, from an outlet at each bank cage, etc: there being one gas shell, or a gas and smoke shell, connected to the omnibus pipe; and

Figs. 22 and 23 are plan and sectional views of a type of rosette outlet that efiectively sprays the gas, or gas and smoke. 7

In my copending application 464,992, above.

tempting a hold-up robbery in a bank, store, i The sys-:

money-exchanging windows, etc. tem described therein. contemplates discharging a group of gas shells or shells which will deliver mixed gas and smoke, or individual gas shells and smoke shells, simultaneously by the closing of an electric contact'by the bank clerk, the discharged gas, or gas'and smoke, either separately or mixed,'being of considerable volume sufiicient to overcome and incapacitate a number of people who may i be in the bankcorridor at the time. The p0-- lice are then notified and the bandits captured; after a short time, the disabling ef-. fects of the gas will pass off and the incapacitated persons are not injured,

In Fig. 1, anelectric gas shell is shown,

the outer tube 1, ofwhich contains asealed fragile holder 2 filled with asuitable irritating gas charge 3, a diaphragm 4, a charge or explosive 5, a ferrule 6, a base 7, terminal posts 8, an electric .fuse 9, and a shunt 10. In this modification, the shunt 10 is shown as imbedded in the explosive 5. Details of the base 7 fuse 9, and shunt 10 are shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2. TheshuntlOis also used in Figs. 16 and 17.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the shunt 11 is placed in a recess in base 17 in order to protect it from the heat generated by the firing of the explosive 5; the ends of.

the shunt are connected to :posts 8/ The shunt 11 is for the purpose of maintaining an uninterrupted circuit through a group of gasshells connected in series, as above noted. The shunt 11 may also be used with Figs. 16 and 17. r t

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the socket 15 is provided with a-shunt 16, having its terminals connected to the socket contacts 1818. In Fig. 5 is shown a group of sockets 19 connected to theelectric wires 20 which supv ply electric current thereto.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, are shown systems of omnibus gas distributing parts with the'gas shells 35, 36, attached thereto, the gas to be discharged from the shell into the distributing -pipes 21 from which it passes through suitable orifices, jets, sprays, etc., 28 and is directed thereby where desired. In Fig. 6, an expansion chamber or omnibus pipe 21 is provided with a suitable connec tion to receive a gas'shell 35, for example, a

bayonet connection 22 may be-used, and a gas cartridge 35 inserted therein,-withthe closed at the other end; insteadof the bayonet slot 22 any other type of joint may be used as for example a screw threaded joint. The pipe 21 is provided with outlets which may be holes 23, or nozzles 24, which nozzles may have special types of jets 25, 26, such as shown in Figs. 10 and 9, to discharge the as blast into a spray, sheet, or curtain" 40, or other form of discharge. An eflicient type of nozzle is shown in Figs. 22 and 23, Fig. 22 illustrating the front View of a plate or rosette which may be secured direct to the omnibus pipe 21, over holes 23; or may be attached to the discharge end of the nozzle 26. The plate 71 is provided with a multiplicity of angularly drilled holes 72, Fig. 23, and a central hole 73; the angularly drilled holes 72 spray the gas as a diverging cone, and produce an effective gas and smoke cloud. The nozzles 24 are placed sufficiently close together so that the discharging gas blasts are preferably mixed with each other to form a cloud or curtain of gas, and when the pipes 21 are located in an elevated position the nozzles may be directed downwards, as in Figs. 12 and 14. The pipe 21 may be suitably curved as in Fig. 8, to fit on various types of moldings, ornamental fittings, grill work, etc., 30, 31, and 32 as shown in Figs. 12, 13, and 14, and may also be constructed with pipe fittings 28 as in Fig. 11, to form suitable angles to fit around corners, etc. In relatively short omnibus gas pipes one gas cartridge 35 may be attached to the pipe at a suitable place, for example at one end, as in Figs. 6, 8, and 21; or with longer pipes, two or more gas cart-ridges 36, 36, may be secured thereto where desired as in Figs. 7 and 11. The gas cartridges 35, 36 are provided with pins 37 as shown in Fig. 15, to connect with the pipes 21, and after firing, the exhausted gas shells are replaced by new ones. The several gas shells 35, 36, in an installation are electrically connected in series by attaching a group of series connected sockets 19, such as is shown in Fig. 5, and are discharged by closing a contact (not shown) when the necessity arises. The shunts 10, 11, 16, serve to maintain a permanently unbroken circuit through all of the series connected gas shells.

In Fig. 16, the explosive charge 45 is mixed with a chemical smoke producing charge 46; in Fig. 17 the chemical smoke producing charge 47 is in a separate compartment 48, the shells in Figures 16 and 17 are otherwise like that shown in Figs. 1 and 15, including the shunt 10 or 11, of Figs. 1 or 3. and may be used in place of the shell shown in Fig. 1, in the omnibus pipe systems shown in Figs. 6 to 11, and in Fig. 21.

In Figs. 18 and 19 are shown omnibus pipes 50 and 51, to which are attached Y couplings 52, or equivalent connections to receive two shells 53, 54; the shell 53 may be a gas shell such as that shown in Fig. 1, and the shell 54 may be a well-known standard type of chemical smokeproducing shell; both shells being discharged into the omnibus pipes, and the mixed gas and smoke issuing from the outlet jets 55 into the bank room or jewelry store, etc. The mixed gas and smoke cloud will both incapacitate and obscure'the vision of the bandits, and prevent them from executing the robbery should they be wearing gas masks as a protection against the irritating gas. The cartridges 53 and 54 may be replaced after they have been discharged, as described above.

In Fig. 20, is illustrated diagrammatically a bank room 61, or jewelry store, or other place where money or valuable property is handled, with the usual bank cages, money-changing windows, jewelry cases, etc. 62. Suitably located upon the partition 63 of the bank cages 62 are placed pairs of shells, 64, 65, one of which 64, is an individual gas shell, and the other 65, an individual chemical smoke shell; the shells to be electrically connected as shown in Fig. 5, both actuated by a single contact, and operated preferably by the system described in my earlier application, Serial No. 464,992, above noted; and when discharged, filling the bank room or jewelry store, or other place where money or valuables are handled, 61, with a mixed gasand smoke cloud.

Instead of using individual shells as shown in Fig. 20, the several bank cages, or jewelry counters, or pay windows, 62, may be supplied with an omnibus pipe, with an outlet at each cage or jewelry counter as shown in Fig. 21. The omnibus pipe 21 shown in Figs. 6 and 8, and at 67 shown in Fig. 21, may be located upon the several bank cages, etc., in the bank room or store 66, with outlets 23, 24, and 69, at each bank window, or jewelry counter, etc., thereby protecting several bank cages, or similar money or valuable property displaying places, with a discharge of one gas shell 68 through the omnibus pipe 67 this arrangement reduces the cost of installation and operation, and also reduces the possibility of the protection system getting out of order.

In the protection system described herein, either gas shells, or shells which deliver gas and smoke, or separate gas shells and smoke shells, may be used; and by the terms disabling gas or disabling gas and smoke is meant an irritating, asphyxiating, and disabling gas such, for example, as tear gas etc., also chemical smokes such as are used to produce opaque atmospheres, etc., the function of which latter is to obscure the vision of the bandits and to enable the bank clerks or others to sound the alarms and call the police, and also to delay the escape of the bandit-s.

I claim:

1. In a system of gas protection against robbery, the combination of a plurality of expansion chambers into which an irritating gas is discharged, a multiplicity of distributing outlets from each of said expansion chambers, said expansion chambers having a rela- 'ively large diameter compared With the outlets, gas shells detachably connected to the inlet ends of said expansion chambers, said gas shells electrically connected in series, and a shunt cooperating with each of said gas shells to maintain an unbroken circuit through all of the said gas shells.

2. In a system of protecting a plurality of money-exchanging windows and the like against attacks by bandits, the combination comprising an expansion chamber, a plurality of outlets from said chamber, one of said outlets for each of said windows, each outlet being adapted to deliver a volume of an irritating gas cloud, said expansion chamber having a relatively large diameter compared with the outlets, and a gas shell adapted to be detachably connected to the inlet end of said expansion chamber, said gas shell adapted to supply sufficient gas cloud for all of said outlets on said expansion chamber.

3. In a system of protecting a plurality of money-exchanging WlIlClOWS' and the like against attacks by bandits, the combination comprising an expansion chamber, a plurality of outlets from said expansion chamber, one of said outlets for each of said windows, each outlet being adapted to deliver a volume of an irritating gas cloud, said expansion chamber having a relatively large diameter compared with. the outlets, a gas shell adapted to be deta'chably connected to the inlet end of said expansion. chamber, and means near each window arranged to actuate and discharge said gas shell into said expansion chamber and deliver a gas cloud from each of said outlets.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature. BYRON C. GOSS. 

